The AJGA Stan Utley and Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior Championship has been named the AJGA’s 2020 Newcomer of the Year.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, charitable giving, volunteer base and Junior-Am Fundraising tournament. Awards are also given to the events with engaged media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Preview Series tournament, best Junior All-Star Series tournament, best Open and best Invitational. Tournament awards for the 2020 season will be presented on-site at 2021 tournaments.
"The inaugural Stan Utley and Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior Championship was a huge hit with players, families, and the community,” said Stan Utley. “Since the event, several juniors have let me know that it was the best tournament they had played all year. We are elated to be awarded the ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award by the AJGA for 2020 and I expect our event to be even better this year. We can't wait to see you in July."
Utley, a world-renowned golf instructor , is one of the most involved hosts the AJGA has to offer. Not only was he on-site during the tournament, but he hit a ceremonial first tee shot, demonstrated putting drills on social media, and congratulated each champion over the phone once the tournament concluded.
In addition to Utley’s support, the tournament benefited heavily from an engaged tournament committee and community. For instance, all six roles on the tournament committee were filled, paying dividends when it came to the AJGA’s “Project Zero” initiative, which sets out to eliminate costs stemming from lodging, staff food, transportation, and others. Overall, only $500 was spent by the AJGA on “Project Zero” items, with the tournament committee securing complimentary food and hotel rooms for the staff, as well as donated ice, bottled water, and a medic.
The field also benefited from the generous tournament committee. In addition to a grab and go lunch for juniors and their families after the first round, each player received a complimentary TaylorMade valuables pouch with the Edward Jones logo.
The event was spearheaded by tournament chair Dr. Raman Puri, vice chair Zach Franklin, and Mr. Billy Sapp, the co-chairman of the Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation . The trio worked hard for two years to get the event on the schedule.
The AJGA Stan Utley and Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior Championship had a huge charitable impact. The tournament raised $53,860, with $18,860 coming from the Junior-Am Fundraising tournament alone. Of the grand total, $17,804 was donated to the Boys & Girls Club and the AJGA’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant , which provides financial assistance to young men and women who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf.
Finally, the tournament was held during a historic week at the AJGA, where nine tournaments took place. That’s the most tournaments held in a single week in the AJGA’s more than 40-year history. Utley, the Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation, and the tournament committee actually played a pivotal role in hitting that landmark. They came together and added a second event in Columbia that week: the AJGA Stan Utley and Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior All-Star. The Open tournament was held at the University of Missouri’s home course, The Club at Old Hawthorne, while the Junior All-Star was held at the Country Club of Missouri. This was one of only a few instances in 2020 where a double-event model was executed.
As for 2021, the Stan Utley and Mid-America Youth Golf Foundation Junior Championship will take place at The Club at Old Hawthorne the week of July 26-29.
In support of this year’s tournament, Utley will be holding a press conference on Friday, June 11, at 3 p.m. CT at The Club at Old Hawthorne.